It’s time to collect wildflower seeds for our native pollinators. I mostly use the seeds for seed balls or package them as promotional items to encourage pollinator conservation but they can also be sown and grown under lights or in cold frames to kick start their growth before planned planting.

I like to snap or cut the mature seed heads into a bucket. After letting the ants and other little critters that might be in there crawl out, I transfer the seeds to paper bags or envelopes where they will undergo dehiscence or dry out and split to release their seeds. The paper bag allows air circulation thus preventing mold. If you plan to hold the seeds into spring and grow them yourself be mindful that some seeds like many milkweeds require cold stratification before germinating and require refrigeration in a mix of horticultural sand and water.

Eco-School students and Green Clubs can collect and package seeds, craft a marketing plan and sell seeds as part of a schoolyard habitat fundraiser!

If I had it my way, exploring a frog pond ecosystem would be mandatory for all students. The observations and interaction with frogs, dragonflies, cattails, lily pads and so much more make for an incredible learning opportunity every child should experience. One of the most popular classes that I offer is Frog Pond Science. For more information, check out the Amphibian Encounter lesson in Hop Into Action, The Amphibian Curriculum For Grades K-4.

Green Frog with Blue Coloration

Green Frog Eggs, Hop Into Action

frog tracks

green frog with vocal sac expanded

ribbon snake in frog pond

Green Frogs. Amplexus (Rana clamitans)

Wood Frog

Frog Pond Metamorphosis Spinner Sign

Frog Pond Habitat, Nature Journal, Hop Into Action

Frog Pond Science, Hop Into Action – Examining Tadpoles

Record your findings at a frog pond for the Citizen Science program FrogWatch USA. The program helps you to learn about the wetlands in your community and conserve amphibians by reporting the calls of local frogs and toads that you hear.

The wooded wetland forest around my home supports a variety of cavity nesting birds. The wood duck (Aix Sponsa), in particular, is a bird that searches out excavations or openings in trees where she can lay her eggs. Due to habitat loss and because the forest is young there is a “housing shortage” that does not offer adequate nesting location in old large trees. To assist the wood duck in finding shelter we continue to build and install many boxes. With the help of local scouts looking for Eagle Scout projects and NJ Fish and Wildlife we have been able to install over fifteen boxes within West Essex park adjacent to the Passaic River.

Putting up a Woodduck Box along the Passaic River

Wood Duck Box

View From inside of Wood Duck Nest Box

When we open boxes after the nesting season is complete there are a variety of surprises to find. Its common to have mice living in the substrate at the bottom, wasps building nests under the top of the box, screech owls in the winter months (and their pellets) and potentially even a flying squirrel although I haven’t experiences that yet myself. We hope to find shell membranes, pieces of eggshell, feather down and any other evidence of nesting or use of the box by Wood ducks. All findings are of note and are kept recorded in a journal with the box #. We also record the gps mark of each box, date of each observation, hole orientation, hole size, box height from water or land, if climbing wire is installed on the inner cover, and if a predator guard in installed.

While habitat protection is ideal as a primary means of protection of these cavity nesters, there currently exists limited shelter availability. When artificial nest boxes are placed in the best locations according to our citizen science research, the nest box monitor can effectively increase the population of a species and make it a common sight as it was many years before.

Xerces Society: A nonprofit organization that protects wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat. For forty years, the Society has been at the forefront of invertebrate protection worldwide, harnessing the knowledge of scientists and the enthusiasm of citizens to implement conservation programs.

Monarch Watch: Find information about creating and certifying a Monarch Waystation or location for migratory insects to stop, rest, and fuel up before they continue their journey.

Live Monarch: You can order milkweed seeds and other supplies for Monarch rearing. The packets can even be customized with the organization’s contact information for giveaways or sales. Monarchs are often the charismatic stepping stone to additional insect conservation efforts.

Citizen science volunteers work hard to encourage and maintain suitable nesting sites for bluebirds. Bluebirds around where I live have been in decline due to habitat loss and also habitat succession as the farms of yesterday have been turning back into forests removing the broad open meadows once common place. To help assist beautiful bluebirds, nest boxes are placed in the remaining open meadows. Bluebirds like to forage in these open areas and also require nesting shelters that are out in the open. They will not nest too close to the forest edge or within likely due to competition with other bird species for those nesting shelters. It turns out that placing two nest boxes back to back or within 15 feet helps to allow tree swallows to take up one box and bluebirds to live in the other. This relationship works because the tree swallows will defend their territory against other tree swallows but allow bluebirds to move in. Bluebirds and tree swallows tolerate one another because the bluebirds are feeding from the ground level whereas the tree swallows feed in the air with their acrobatic maneuvers as they swoop up flying insects.

Bluebird on Nest

Baby Bluebirds Awakening

Bluebirds work hard to create a suitable home for their young and will aggressively protect it. They face increasing nesting competition due to non-native birds like European starling and house sparrow. Fortunately, when a good location is provided they can have up to three broods a season.

Tree Swallow at Becker Farm Bluebird Box

Citizen Scientists can monitor these nest boxes to help provide adequate shelter for them to bring up babies. Nestbox monitoring sheets often include the following information that is gathered: Nest box #, Species, Nesting Activity Notes, Nest Completed Date, 1st Egg Laid, Total Eggs Laid, Hatching Date, Total Eggs Hatched, Total Fledges and Date Fledged.

We can use the data to identify the suitable habitat elements that support bluebirds, document resident bird populations, increase available shelter for bluebird species recovery and promote a stewardship ethic that cares for our natural environment.

Consider installing a single box or an entire trail of boxes during National Nest Box Week in February to have them ready for the spring season.

For the past eight years I’ve been working together with local schools on a citizen science endeavor to gather chemical and biological data on the health of the Passaic River at the Essex County Environmental Center in Roseland, New Jersey.

The projects purpose is to encourage and engage student involvement in establishing data resources for scientific use as a basis for sound decision-making. In doing so, students have authentic place-based experiences that address real-life environmental issues in order to contribute to the protection of the natural resources in our communities. In using the river as a rich learning laboratory students become ecologically aware of their surroundings and their immediate community impact. Hopefully through their participation they foster an ethic of appreciation for the environment and go forward as a steward who has the tools to make individual choices that work to protect and improve the health of our environment.

Classes graph all the combined collected data to examine changes taking place and make realistic recommendations that can help to continue to improve the recovery of the river as a valued public resource. Together we learn that just being concerned about the environment is not enough however there are small choices and changes we can make that help to leave it better than we found it.

Biological Analysis of Aquatic Organisms in Passaic River

Chemical Analysis of Phosphate in Passaic River

Labeled Storm Drain, Drains to Newark Bay and Atlantic Ocean

Photo from Canoe Trip on Passaic River

For our Passaic River studies we use the Earth Force Standard Water Monitoring Kit and examine phosphate, nitrate, pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity and temperature of water and air. We also collect, identify and release aquatic organisms or macroinvertebrates that act as indicators of the health of the water. We assign each macroinvertebrate a point value based on their ability to tolerate pollution (1pt), be somewhat tolerant of pollution (2pts) and pollution intolerant (3pts). Emphasis is put on accuracy and precision of collected data to ensure results are useful and comparable.

To find new things, take the path you took yesterday. – John Burroughs

I talk a lot about nature. As a naturalist, my job is often to introduce participants to the seasonal discoveries they may not be wired to notice or have the time to slow down and recognize. Walking through habitats everyday and recording my observations helps to take notice of what is happening in the natural world. Phenology is the study of the timing of these natural events. The word comes from a Greek word that means “coming into view”. Events like the first openings of leaf and flower buds and the first calls of frogs and toads are all considered phonological events. The timing of these events varies in different locations due to the climate differences.

Different factors affect an areas climate, including temperature, amount of precipitation, and day length at different latitude and altitude.

The occurrence of observed phenomenon may alter slightly from year to year, but is predictable.

If you hike, paddle, hunt, go birding or enjoy nature photography being in touch with the changing seasons brings eager anticipation for the delightful celebrations nature puts forward. Try keeping your own phenology journal to be ready for each special moment in your neck of the woods.

Tips: Check the dates of your digital photographs to record past observations! Add these notes to your calendar so you can plan when and where you want to be far in advance.

Animal Tracking: shoot tracks in shade (your own shadow) and open up a stop or two.

Great Horned Owls are setting up their nesting territories, sometimes in an old crow or hawk nest and will be on eggs in February.

Note: December 21,22 earth is tilted away from sun so shortest period of daylight.

Finding what you’re looking for! (Focus on New Jersey)

There are many wonderful environmental centers and park conservancies that will help you get closer to nature. Join your local center for a seasonal walk or consider going out with an organization that focuses more closely on a specific topic of interest.